


I'll Look After You, Like I've Never Done Before

by supernatural_mondler (1DE3shipper)



Series: Josh/Sam Drabbles [5]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: Fluff, Husbands, M/M, No plot whatsoever, President Sam, Sickfic, i should be writing my paper but i wrote this instead, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-16 03:30:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18513007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1DE3shipper/pseuds/supernatural_mondler
Summary: Sam's not feeling well.





	I'll Look After You, Like I've Never Done Before

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lily_Padd_23](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lily_Padd_23/gifts).



> this is very short, has almost no plot, is not edited whatsoever, and was written in about an hour. it is just senseless fluff. lily_padd_23 asked for soft josh taking care of sam headcanons, so i just wrote her a fic instead. you're welcome. 
> 
> kinda goes in my samjosh series-that-isnt-really-a-series? maybe? i dunno, just read it.
> 
> title is from "in spite of all the danger" by the beatles/quarrymen, bc apparently that's just how i title all my fics now for samjosh reasons

Josh could hear his husband before he saw him.  He knew Sam hadn’t been feeling great when he left this morning, but the rattling cough that reached Josh’s ears from down the hall indicated that he had only gotten worse throughout the day.  It was January, which mean not only was it cold and flu season, but Sam had spent the better part of the past few weeks getting ready for the State of the Union, something stressful for any President, but doubly so for one who insisted on helping write it himself.  Control freak.

It was really no surprise that everything had finally caught up with him; after all, Sam was no less human than anyone else, hard as that was to believe sometimes.  But Josh was a little annoyed that it was after nine at night and he was just now returning to the residence when he so clearly needed rest.

He looked up as Sam opened the door to their bedroom and was prepared to give him a lecture on taking care of himself—one which Sam had given to Josh many, many times over the years—but the weary look on his husband’s face sucked all the irritation right out of him.

“Hey,” Sam croaked quietly, giving him a sheepish smile.

Josh sighed. “C’mere, baby,” he instructed, holding his arms out for Sam to join him on the bed.  Sam kicked off his shoes and stripped off his suit jacket and left it on a chair before kneeling down next to him.  Sam looked like he was thinking of kissing him, but thought better of it and just dropped his head onto Josh’s shoulder.  Josh rolled his eyes and gently stroked his hand over Sam’s forehead, subtly feeling for a temperature.  “Have you eaten?  Want me to get someone to bring something up here for you?”

Sam shook his head. “Not hungry,” he mumbled.  “Maybe tea though?”

Josh smiled. “Okay, I’ll be right back.” Sam let out a whimper as Josh stood up, but readjusted himself so that he was fully lying on his side, facing the door so that Josh would never be out of sight.  Josh poked his head outside and asked one of the agents standing there if they could call down to the kitchen for some tea and a bowl of soup. 

Sam was half asleep by the time he turned around again, and Josh laughed fondly.  He hadn’t even bothered to take his glasses off before collapsing, poor boy.  Josh made his way back to the bed and placed Sam’s glasses gently on the bedside table and peeled off his socks and belt.  He pulled a t-shirt and some sweatpants from their shared dresser for Sam to change into.  Sam stirred as Josh began unbuttoning his shirt, apparently alert enough to ask, “you undressing me babe?  Want some of this?”

“Yeah, looking real hot right now, you stud,” Josh teased back, ruffling Sam’s hair in a way he could never get away with if Sam was fully coherent.  “Sit up a bit, I’m gonna help you get more comfortable.  Your clothes are gross.”

“You’re gross,” Sam mumbled sleepily, but he complied enough for Josh to strip him of his button-up and replace it with a clean t-shirt.

“Are you cold?  Or is this okay?” Josh asked.

“Pants,” Sam supplied helpfully.

Josh laughed. “I’m getting there,” he replied patiently.  “Wanna answer my question first?”

Sam paused.  “Question?”

“Want a sweatshirt or are you okay in a t-shirt?” Josh repeated.  “Are you cold?”

Sam thought about it for a minute.  “A little cold,” he admitted.

“Can you put these on while I grab you something?” Josh asked, holding the sweats up for Sam to seem

“I can put my own pants on,” Sam huffed, weakly jerking them from Josh’s hand.  Josh felt he displayed a lot of restraint and maturity by not initiating a game of tug-of-war that he would almost surely win for once.  Even he knew when to pick his battles.

Sam had actually managed to change into sweatpants by the time Josh returned with one of his old Harvard sweatshirts.  He helped Sam pull it on, then stepped back to admire the way it looked on him.  Sam wearing his clothes was one of Josh’s favorite things in the world.  They were close enough in size that they could mostly share clothes without it being too obvious, but Josh’s frame was just a little bit broader and his clothes hung just a little bit more loosely on Sam in a way that made Josh’s heart do funny things.

Sam smiled up at him, reaching his arms towards Josh.  Josh quickly did as Sam wanted, lying down next to him and pulling the younger man into his arms.

“Mmmm,” Sam sighed sleepily, nuzzling his face into Josh’s neck.

“Don’t you dare get me sick you asshole,” Josh warned, though it was an empty threat.  He was nearly certain he would come down with a similar bug sometime within the next forty-eight hours and he’d complain and curse Sam for infecting him and Sam would roll his eyes and take care of him and then all would be forgotten within a week.

“You’re the one cuddling a sick person,” Sam countered.

“Only ‘cause you asked me to.”

“That’s right.  You give me whatever I want when I’m sick,” Sam replied smugly.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t push your luck,” Josh scoffed, but he couldn’t actually deny that.  The only possible argument was that he would give Sam whatever he wanted all the time, and that really wasn’t the case he wanted to build at the moment, true or not.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, and Josh called for the steward to ender with the tea and soup he had asked for.  Sam pouted when he saw the soup.

“I said I wasn’t hungry,” he whined.

“That’s fine.  Just in case,” Josh responded, patiently holding a bit of the warm liquid on a spoon.  Sam glared but ate the spoonful anyways, and then a few more after that.  “You didn’t eat lunch today,” Josh observed when Sam had finished about half the bowl.

“I wasn’t hungry.  And I was busy,” Sam shrugged as Josh brought the spoon to his mouth again.

“You should’ve come up here to rest for a bit if you weren’t feeling well, baby.”

“Like I said, I was busy,” Sam brushed off.

“I’m gonna cancel your morning for tomorrow, okay?” Josh informed him.  “You need to sleep this off.”

“I’m fine,” Sam groaned.  “Don’t cancel stuff, I’ll be okay when I wake up.”  His sentence was punctuated with a sneeze and a series of coughs.  Josh raised an eyebrow and Sam huffed but mumbled “ _fine_ ” so Josh made a mental note to call one of Sam’s assistants after he was asleep.

Sam didn’t quite manage the entire bowl of soup, but Josh considered it a victory that he ate any of it so he just put it off to the side as Sam sipped his tea.

“Is your throat bothering you?” Josh asked after a particularly obvious wince as Sam swallowed.

“A bit,” Sam admitted.  “This is helping, though.”

“Do you want to take anything?”

Sam shook his head.  “In the morning, if it’s not better by then.  I probably just need some rest.”

“You definitely need some rest,” Josh agreed.  “I know things have been busy, but you should know by now that if you’re waiting for a slow day, you’ll be waiting eight years.  You can’t stop taking care of yourself just because you want to write a stupid speech yourself.”

“It wasn’t stupid,” Sam grumbled stubbornly.

“No, you’re right love, it was a very nice speech, you did well,” he placated.  “My point still stands.  No one wants a President with the sniffles.”

“Shut up.”

“Drink your tea,” Josh retorted.

“Yes, mother.”

“I wouldn’t need to scold you if you would take care of yourself.”

Sam raised an eyebrow at him skeptically and yeah, that was fair, Josh really couldn’t preach to anyone about taking care of themselves since he was possibly the most self-destructive person ever, but he figured he was allowed to be a protective husband.  And he had gotten much better since retiring.

They sat in silence while Sam finished his drink, Josh’s arm around his shoulder keeping his husband tucked against his side.  Josh took the mug when he was done and settled back against the pillows, Sam curling against his chest. 

“Little early for you to sleep,” Sam mumbled, eyes drooping.

“Do you want me to get up?”

“No,” Sam admitted.  “This is nice.”

“Thought so,” Josh whispered, pressing a kiss to Sam’s ruffled hair.  “I’ll just watch you for a bit.  I know you don’t feel well, but you look really cute like this, Sammy.  I could look at you forever.  Feel like I never get to look at you anymore.  You’re always so busy, I don’t get you to myself very much.  That’s okay, I know a lot of people need you more than I do, but I like this.”

“Shut up, ‘m sleeping,” Sam mumbled, and Josh laughed silently.

“’Kay,” he responded, kissing the top of Sam’s head again. “Love you.  Feel better.”

Sam answered with something that vaguely resembled “ _love you too_ ” and Josh felt him go limp as the exhaustion finally overtook him.  It felt like being crushed by a human space heater and Josh was certain that within the next few days he would develop some sort of extra-strong strain (because the world loved making him miserable) of whatever illness Sam had brought home, but he didn’t care.  The only thing that mattered was right here in this bed, softly snoring through a stuffy nose, and Josh would take anything if it meant he got to end the days like this.

**Author's Note:**

> this is like most pointless piece of fluff i've ever written wow...leave me a review anyways maybe?


End file.
